One type of electrical connector has a side retainer. In this type of connector, terminal fittings are doubly stopped in an unremovable state. A retainer is inserted from a side face of a housing provided with a plurality of cavities, this retainer being retained by stepped members or the like formed on the terminal fittings that have been inserted into these cavities. Consequently, the terminal fittings can be engaged directly, and this type of connector has the advantage of having a strong retaining force.
However, in the case of water-proof connectors, an outer circumference of a housing is provided with a hood member and, in order to make this type of connector suitable for a side retainer, a window must open into this hood member to allow the insertion of the retainer. This opening cannot easily be water-proofed, and side retainers are thus not usually employed for water-proof connectors.
A water-proof connector which employs a side retainer without having such a window to allow the insertion of the retainer is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,929.
In this connector, the retainer is formed in a shape capable of covering the circumference of an anterior end of a housing provided with cavities. The retainer is inserted into the housing so as to cover an anterior face thereof and has a configuration whereby it can be moved between a temporary stopping position and a main stopping position, the direction of this movement intersecting with the direction of insertion of the terminal fittings. In the temporary stopping position, fitting members provided on the retainer move towards sides of the cavities, thereby allowing the terminal fittings to be inserted. In the main stopping position, the fitting members protrude into the cavities, thereby retaining the terminal fittings in an unremovable state.
However, in the connector described above, the retainer has a configuration whereby it is covered by the outer side of the housing and. moreover, a space is required between the housing and a surrounding hood member to allow the covered retainer to move in a radial direction. As a result. there is the problem that the entire connector must be large.
The present invention has been developed after taking the above problem into consideration, and aims to present a water-proof connector provided with a side retainer and capable of being miniaturised.